Posted on Feb 26, 2015
SGM Senior Adviser, National Communications
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Posted in these groups: Leadership abstract 007 LeadershipStar Promotions
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SFC George Smith
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Cpl Tou Lee Yang
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Now days, it all depends on your popularity. If you're popular you will be made in charge while the boss leaves for a meeting. At least that is how it is in the Navy.
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SGM Senior Adviser, National Communications
SGM (Join to see)
>1 y
Cpl Yang--it's always popular to be popular. But when the stuff hits the fan, the fellow with the most competence and credibility gets more followers.
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SCPO Emergency Management Director
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Yes it matters, we are not all the same. Seniority serves a purpose. Our job is to defend democracy not practice it!, someone has to be the Senior, someone needs to be the Junior.
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SGT Rick Ash
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Time in Service and Time in Grade is important for promotions.
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LTC Jason Mackay
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I hated your survey options. It makes a difference for practical reasons. I know of an installation where that determined the Senior Commander between 5 or 6 colonels by DOR, like the highlander, there can only be one. Has nothing to do with "comparing our sizes". There are situations where DOR determines rater/rated relationships. I have had to rate peers based on DOR. It becomes practical in situations where soldiers are isolated and may only be with peers ( think code of conduct). It is a lot simpler than double elimination paper rock and scissors. The S1 will frequently have to assign INvestigating Officers, panel members, board presidents, summary court martial officers, using DOR. Doesn't have much to do with one person getting the drop on another.
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1SG Frank Rocha
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Edited >1 y ago
Hard work, dedication, and professional excellence in all phases of technical and tactical proficiency is a measurement that goes far in determining the potential to serve at the next higher pay grade. If a soldier with less Time in Grade as the next soldier gets promoted first due to a considerable difference in measured promotion potential then that soldier has seniority regardless of age or time in service (TIS). We want the most qualified to move up first. They deserve the respect that goes with that. they earned it.

In the higher pay grades such as MSG, 1SG, SGM and CSM these lines of separation can seem to blur a bit but make no mistake they are there. I have witnessed the demonstration of its existence personally but then again that depends on where you are and who your serving with.

I have seen personnel spend a considerable amount of time in the same pay grade only to be "passed up" by other high speed soldiers who are upwardly mobile. If an E-6 with 15 years Time in Grade (TIMIG) and 25 years TIS is now junior in rank to an E-7 with only 10 years TIS do we still go by longevity?

How about an E-5 with 10 Years TIMIG and 15 years TIS getting promoted to E-6 a year after a soldier that has only 7 years TIS, do we still go by longevity?

the answer to both is, no. We go by merit and qualification. Longevity alone does not a wise man make. If all I had to do is wait 30 years and suddenly knowledge, wisdom, experience, and understanding suddenly rushes into my head like downloading a program into a computer then hard work, dedication, and determination would become obsolete but you can't and it isn't.

There is a valid and justified reason we have a system to determine seniority, first by pay grade, then date of rank, then time in service (TIS) in the Army, then TIS in the military (all branches served in combined), then age (older is more senior). If we all buy into and have faith and trust in the system that is in place (designed and maintained by the Army's finest and most experienced minds) everything works much smoother and effectively. We do not accept the role of NCO to decide what rules and policies we want to enforce based on like or dislike, we accept it to enforce rules and policy regardless of our personal view of those policies, this includes rules determining seniority.
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